146: Chapter 146 The Melee Begins

On the tenth day, people from the Jinyang Sect arrived.

Leading them was a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage middle-aged man, followed by over a dozen Qi Refining Stage Disciples.

They had come to investigate Zhou Yuan's whereabouts.

Zhou Yuan was said to have gone to Qinghe Town to search for the Relics of True Lord Xuanyun, but no news had returned for many days.

Before they departed, his Soul Lamp, though not extinguished, was so dim it was almost invisible.

The Sect sent them to investigate the situation.

On the eleventh day, people from Medicine King Valley arrived.

On the twelfth day, people from Qingxin Pavilion arrived.

On the thirteenth day.

A terrifying pressure descended from the sky, causing all the Cultivators in Qinghe Town to feel a tremor in their hearts.

In the sky, a golden Sword Qi streaked through the air. As the Sword Qi dissipated, an enraged face was revealed.

It was a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and beard, a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, his eyes bloodshot, exuding a suffocating killing intent.

He was Zhou Yuan's Master, a Golden Core Immortal Master of the Jinyang Sect.

Perfected Lord Lieyang.

He had just emerged from seclusion when he learned that his beloved Disciple's Soul Lamp had extinguished.

In that instant, he nearly overturned the entire Jinyang Sect.

Then, without a word, he flew on his sword straight to Qinghe Town.

"Yuan'er!"

His furious roar made the entire mine tremble.

Then, he rushed into the mine.

On the fifteenth day, a violent roar came from deep within the mine.

Someone was fighting inside.

It was Perfected Lord Lieyang and several Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Blood Fiend Sect.

Those Foundation Establishment Cultivators were no match for him at all; they were cut down in three moves.

But their deaths attracted more Blood Fiend Sect Cultivators.

Meanwhile,

It was half a month later when Li Changsheng returned to the Qinglan Sword Sect.

For half a month, he had practically been hiding along the way.

He didn't dare to fly too high on his sword, didn't dare to stay in towns for too long, didn't dare to take main roads, only daring to travel through desolate mountains and wilderness.

He avoided Cultivators from afar and detoured around Yao Beasts.

Like a frightened bird, he was constantly vigilant of everything around him.

The Golden Core Sword Qi Jade Talisman was held tightly in his hand, ready to be activated at any moment.

Fortunately, the journey was safe, though not without frights.

When he finally saw the familiar outline of the Qinglan Mountains, he was almost completely exhausted.

At the Sect gate, the Disciple on duty was startled when he saw him.

"Senior Brother Li? How are you..."

Li Changsheng waved his hand, offering no explanation, and directly entered the Sect gate.

He first returned to the Hundred Herb Garden.

The Spirit Tea Tree was still there, its leaves verdant, growing splendidly.

The Jade Dew Ginseng next to it was also lush, clearly someone had taken care of it for him. He stood by the field for a while, a faint warmth rising in his heart.

But soon, that warmth was suppressed by the harsh reality.

He turned and walked towards Heavenly Sword Peak.

Liu Qingchen's courtyard remained quiet and serene.

When Li Changsheng arrived, he was brewing tea in the courtyard.

The fragrant tea mist curled upwards, diffused in the afternoon sun, adding a touch of warmth to the quiet courtyard.

Seeing Li Changsheng enter, Liu Qingchen's gaze lingered on him for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Are you injured?"

Li Changsheng shook his head.

"A superficial wound, nothing serious."

He sat down opposite Liu Qingchen, took the offered teacup, but did not drink.

"Senior Brother Liu,"

he began, his voice a little hoarse.

"I have something to tell you."

Liu Qingchen looked at him, saying nothing, just waiting quietly.

Li Changsheng took a deep breath and began to recount.

From Zhou Yuan's insistence on going to Qinghe Town, to his own failed attempt to dissuade him, then entering the depths of the mine, discovering the altar, encountering the demonic shadow, and meeting the Loose Cultivator Shen Jun.

The melee with the Blood Fiend Sect Cultivators, seeing the Nascent Soul remnant of True Lord Xuan Yun, and finally joining forces with Shen Jun to stabilize the Formation and temporarily suppress the Demon Soul...

He recounted it in great detail, almost without any omissions.

He only concealed two things: the xuan yun sword and the Storage Ring.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Liu Qingchen, but these items were too precious, and the fewer people who knew, the better.

Liu Qingchen listened, silent for a long time.

"The Relics of True Lord Xuan Yun..."

he murmured.

"It's actually true."

"Five years ago, we also went there to investigate, but found no clues. Perhaps our Opportunity was insufficient."

Li Changsheng nodded and continued.

"There's one more thing."

He took out the letters from his Huai and placed them on the table.

"These were found on those two Blood Fiend Sect Cultivators. They are gathering at the border, building many altars, seemingly constructing a large Formation."

Liu Qingchen took the letters and read them one by one.

After reading them, his expression became extremely solemn.

"This is not an ordinary gathering."

"They are setting up a Formation."

"If these altars connect to form a grand Formation, then..."

He didn't finish, but Li Changsheng already understood.

"Can it be stopped?"

Liu Qingchen shook his head.

"I don't know. This is no longer something you and I can interfere with."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed into the distance.

"I will tell my Master what you've said. He will handle it."

Li Changsheng nodded and also stood up.

"Senior Brother Liu,"

"I'm going back first. These past two weeks have been too tiring."

Liu Qingchen turned around and looked at him, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.

"You did well."

"Get some good rest."

Li Changsheng smiled and turned to leave.

Behind him, Liu Qingchen's voice came.

"Oh, your fellow villagers have already returned. They are all waiting for you in the Hundred Herb Garden."

Li Changsheng paused, then nodded.

When he returned to the Hundred Herb Garden, Li Changqing, Shi Tiezhu, and Li Xiaocao were indeed all there.

Seeing him, Li Xiaocao was the first to rush up and hug his waist.

"Brother Changsheng! You're finally back! We were so worried!"

Shi Tiezhu also ran over, his honest face full of excitement.

"Brother Changsheng, you're finally back!"

Li Changqing stood behind, her eyes slightly red, but she just smiled and nodded.

Li Changsheng patted each of their shoulders, a warm current welling up in his heart.

No matter how turbulent the outside world was, at least here, these people were his roots.

Qinghe Town Black Iron Mine.

Just three days after Perfected Lord Lieyang killed several Blood Fiend Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivators, a Golden Core Immortal Master from the Blood Fiend Sect also arrived.

He was a pale, sinister old man with blood-red eyes.

Known as "Ancestor Chi Mu."

He and Perfected Lord Lieyang fought a great battle deep within the mine, collapsing half of the mountain.

The two fought from the ground to the sky, causing the winds and clouds to change, and the sky to turn dim.

Ultimately, both were severely wounded and retreated.

But their battle inadvertently destroyed something.

The soul-suppressing jade wall.

Five of the nine jade walls that suppressed the Spirit-Devouring Demon Soul were shattered during their battle.

From deep within the mine, a mournful roar echoed.

The sound was not human, nor a beast's roar, but a chilling scream that pierced directly to the Soul.

All the Cultivators in Qinghe Town heard that sound and felt a deep-seated fear.

The Spirit Devourer had emerged.

Three days after Li Changsheng returned to the Qinglan Sword Sect, the news spread throughout Yunzhou.

The Relics of True Lord Xuan Yun indeed existed.

Deep within the Black Iron Mine in Qinghe Town, there was an Immortal Cave of an ancient Nascent Soul mighty figure, a Demon Soul suppressed for a thousand years, and countless Opportunities and dangers.

Some Cultivators had already entered; some died, some went mad, and some truly found treasures.

For a time, the entire Yunzhou was abuzz.

Those Loose Cultivators who were originally observing began to flock to Qinghe Town.

Even the smaller Sects that were hesitant began to send people.

Even the major Sects were secretly mobilizing personnel, preparing to get a share of the spoils.

That evening, Li Changsheng once again went to Liu Qingchen's courtyard.

Liu Qingchen was packing his things. Seeing him arrive, he stopped what he was doing.

"My Master said,"

"that I shouldn't go to Qinghe Town."

Li Changsheng was slightly taken aback.